Calls in Cyprus for information on missing persons as a result of decades-old conflicts

In a symbolic visit to the Anthropological Laboratory of the United Nations-supported Committee on Missing Persons, Cypriot leaders urged citizens from both sides of the island to come forward with information about hundreds of victims of conflicts that erupted almost half a century ago.

President of Greek Cypriot, Nicos Anastasiades, and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Ersin Tatar, toured the anthropological laboratory in Nicosia, a move aimed at building trust amid the ongoing stalemate in peace talks on the divided island.

A statement issued by the United Nations after the visit mentioned that "the leaders encouraged individuals who possess information about potential burial sites to share it with the Committee on Missing Persons." 

The statement also emphasized that witnesses were reminded that they could request confidentiality when sharing information, as reliable information could expedite the process of locating and exhuming remains to identify the missing.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish forces occupied the northern part of the island in response to a military coup by Greece's ruling junta. The fate of hundreds of individuals remains unknown, with only about half of those declared missing receiving proper burial ceremonies.

The United Nations stated that "the leaders emphasized their mutual understanding that the responsibility of the Committee on Missing Persons is primarily to the families of the missing. The committee brings closure to affected families by returning the remains of their loved ones, allowing them to have proper burial ceremonies."

The Committee on Missing Persons was established under an agreement between the two communities with the aim of exhuming the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots who went missing in 1974 and during the intercommunal fighting between the two sides in 1963-1964. The committee is tasked with identifying the remains and returning them to their relatives.

According to the committee, the identities of 741 missing Greek Cypriots have been determined, while the fate of 769 others remains unknown. Two hundred Turkish Cypriots are still listed as missing.

Tatar expressed a strong commitment to easing the pain of the families, stating, "We want to do everything in our power to alleviate the suffering of the families. We will continue to encourage people to come forward with information before it is too late because many people know."

Anastasiades highlighted that resolving the missing persons issue is among the best confidence-building measures, as greater cooperation in this field would also aid efforts to break the deadlock and resume negotiations.

The European Commission welcomed the joint visit to the laboratory located in the buffer zone in Nicosia, noting that it comes amid significant progress towards resolving the Cyprus issue.



AFP